On February 23, Southwestern head tennis coach Billy Porter gathered the men's team in Walzel Natatorium for a spontaneous swimming session. 

Southwestern's defense of the program's first No. 10 national ranking opened with three losses in its first four matches, including against lower-ranked Sewanee. The slow start prompted multiple team meetings to address the Pirates' slide. 

If the team meetings served as warnings and the loss to Sewanee a wake-up call, each player diving into Southwestern's pool was a literal cold splash of reality. 

"I didn't tell them the heater for the pool was out until after they swam for an hour in the cold water," Porter recalls. "I told them if they could survive an hour in the pool, they could get through some of the problems we were having." 

Southwestern ended the previous season on a program high, making its first NCAA Tournament appearance and advancing to the Sweet 16 to finish ranked No. 10 nationally. With one of the two most accomplished senior classes in program history and a promising, hardworking trio of freshmen, expectations were high. 

Senior co-captains Hunter Bajoit and Carlos Esteban Rodero, who came to Southwestern from the same high school, led the team. Bajoit, the team's best player, led the tennis aspect of the program, organizing workouts. Esteban Rodero organized off-the-court activities. 

"They couldn't be any further from each other as people, but that's what made it so unique," Porter says. "I've never had a captain's group so different from each other but aligned exactly the same way. They had different mindsets, different approaches, and paths, but both were so well-respected." 

Both perspectives were needed to keep the season afloat as Southwestern tackled entirely new challenges. Finding national success is one battle; dealing with that success is another. 

Pat Riley, a basketball Hall of Famer for his work as a head coach for the Los Angeles Lakers, New York Knicks, and Miami Heat, once coined the phrase "the disease of more," which describes the problems teams have once they get a taste of success. Individuals within that team often feel entitled to more; a more significant role, a higher spot in the pecking order, or greater accolades. 

"We had some internal issues with friendly fire. Guys were more interested in where they were playing in the lineup and who was playing or why they weren't," Porter recalls. "Between Hunter, Carlos, and myself, we were navigating through issues we've never dealt with before."

The internal issues bubbled to the surface in the fall when senior Vesko Lekovic, a talented, All-SCAC First Team doubles player who spent most of the previous season at No. 1 singles, was removed from the team.

"I was done with him in August, but the guys wanted him back. So, we had one-on-one meetings where we asked everyone, with your spot in the lineup at stake, do you want him playing? All 12 said yes," Porter says. "We had our challenges, but it truly is eye-opening to see that kind of support for an individual. It makes you question what you do not see that they are." 

Southwestern experienced some success in the ITA Fall Regional. Bajoit finished as the runner-up in singles. The team also welcomed back Hemanshu Rambojun after a year away due to the pandemic, with Bajoit and Rambojun making their second appearance in the ITA Regional doubles championship, losing to Trinity. 

Bajoit entered the spring ranked No. 25 in singles and No. 20 in doubles alongside Rambojun.

"[Rambojun's return] was big. Something we always forget with how good our team was last year is he was supposed to be on that team," Porter says. "Hemanshu gave us that solid piece who's a strong doubles player at No. 1 with experience in big matches." 

Southwestern opened the spring with an exhibition loss to Texas-Tyler, the No. 18-ranked program in Division II. Then, they were swept by No. 9 North Carolina Wesleyan and suffered a 5-4 loss to No. 25 Christopher Newport. Then, after shutting out East Texas Baptist, the Pirates fell 6-3 to Sewanee. 

"The N.C. Wesleyan match wasn't a bad loss, though losing 9-0 was rough. The Christopher Newport loss was one where we had a quick turnaround against a team hungry to beat us," Porter says. "Those were tough because they're teams we've beaten in the past."

After the cold dip in the pool, Southwestern torched LeTourneau 7-2 in a match Porter told his team was the first time they'd played as they had a year ago. Then, with a spark of momentum, Southwestern turned its attention to Orlando, where it would face three nationally-ranked opponents in a trip that would turn its season around.

The team stayed in an eight-bedroom mansion equipped with a game room featuring a pool table and video games, providing an experience that drew the team closer together. 

"Going into Orlando was really cool, and a lot of that had to do with hanging out all night until the early morning hours. It was one of the best experiences we've had," Porter says. "The timing of the Florida trip was key. We saw the results where we didn't play bad tennis the rest of the year."

Southwestern opened the trip with a 9-0 loss to top-ranked Case Western Reserve University, with Bajoit and Jared Burton fighting tough in an 8-5 defeat at No. 2 doubles and Bajoit dropping a three-set heartbreaker to James Hopper at No. 1 singles. 

The Pirates bounced back with a 5-4 win over No. 13-ranked Wesleyan, which is the highest-ranked opponent the men's team has defeated in program history. Southwestern pulled through in thrilling fashion, getting a 7-5, 6-0 clinch from freshman Oscaar Roy with the score tied 4-4. The clinch was a breakthrough performance for Roy, who also picked up a significant doubles point alongside Esteban Rodero.

"Oscar is a tremendous asset to our team. He had other options from programs in the top 25 and came here. He struggled a little in the fall with nerves and a mini-meltdown against Sewanee," Porter says. "He wasn't prepared and lost some confidence, but Hunter had a good conversation with him, and Oscar got back on track and became a believer. Clinching against Wesleyan was the highlight of his season."

Roy finished the season with an 11-6 singles record, including 8-2 at No. 5 singles. He also paired with Esteban Rodero for a 9-5 record at No. 3 doubles, winning All-SCAC Second Team in both categories. 

"Oscar went from not playing doubles to arguably being the best doubles player we had on the team," Porter says. "Carlos's mentorship was a huge part of Oscar's growth. Oscar was a better player, but Carlos and his experience helped him prepare for those big moments and opportunities." 

The Pirates followed the Wesleyan win with a doubleheader against Rhodes and No. 21-ranked Kenyon. After defeating Rhodes 9-0, Southwestern defeated Kenyon 6-3, getting a vital point at No. 1 doubles from Lekovic and Rambojun with an 8-7 win. 

"The win Hemanshu and Vesko pulled off against Kenyon to give us the doubles sweep was absolutely incredible. They won two tiebreakers that day, and the match against Kenyon was amazing tennis," Porter says. "Vesko is a first-generation kid from Serbia who's seen some things in his life, he's managed diabetes, and I'm proud of him for getting a degree from Southwestern. He poured everything into each match; no one physically gave as much as he did. That's where he earned the guys' respect." 

Roy also came through in a tough environment against Kenyon, picking up another doubles point and fighting through the strain of a doubleheader and a raucous Kenyon crowd. 

"Gutting out that win while cramping and with all the Kenyon team yelling was huge," Porter says. "I think it gave him so much self-belief. Once Oscar had that, it was game over." 

The Kenyon match also served as a breakthrough for junior Steven Tibbetts, who moved up to No. 4 singles earlier in the season and pulled away with a three-set victory over Kenyon's Eric Zhang, winning 4-6, 6-2, 10-1. 

Tibbetts was one of two All-SCAC First Team singles selections, along with Bajoit, posting a 14-6 record, including 8-2 at No. 4 singles. 

"Growth is such a cliche word, but it's so true for him. Steven was a stud for us at No. 5 singles for two years, but we moved him to No. 4 after the North Carolina trip, and he played well," Porter says. "As the season progressed, I took him to The Ojai, and he battled the three-seed from Santa Cruz to three sets, and it was eye-opening how much better he'd gotten. So things are turning for him in the right direction." 

The team followed suit, trending in the right direction the rest of the way. First, the team rolled over Ozarks with an 8-1 win, then battled tough in a 9-0 loss to No. 2-ranked Chicago. The match set the stage for seven consecutive wins to close out the regular season, defeating Mary Hardin-Baylor, Texas Lutheran twice, St. Thomas, Prairie View A&M, Schreiner, and Sul Ross State. 

"It's not how you start but how you finish," Porter says. "The guys had a terrible beginning, but they were able to figure it out." 

Southwestern rode the momentum to a 6-0 win over Texas Lutheran in the opening round of the SCAC Tournament, then defeated Colorado College 5-1 in the semifinals. The Pirates opened the championship match against Trinity with early leads in two of the three doubles but ultimately dropped tiebreakers to lose the match 5-0. 

"For the young guys, all we talk about is how the margin of error at this level is so minimal. They hear it, but I don't think you can understand it until you experience it and it doesn't go your way," Porter says. "Seeing those leads slip away is an important learning experience since we're graduating six seniors with seven guys scheduled to return." 

Southwestern was unable to secure a second at-large bid into the NCAA Tournament, though Bajoit did become the first two-time NCAA qualifier in Southwestern men's tennis history. Once there, he won his first-round match, breaking the career wins record and becoming the first two-time All-American in men's program history. 

"Hunter is one of the hardest-working guys I've ever had, and he's always trying to help his teammates get better at tennis," Porter says. "Going to the NCAAs is cool, but winning a conference championship is all this group cares about." 

This year's senior class of Bajoit, Esteban Rodero, Lekovic, Rambojun, Max Pearson, and Nicolas Guarin carried this team through a rough season. Even though it fell short, it brought the program closer to its long-term goals.

"This class helped raise the bar and keep it there. It was extraordinary in regards to how they could take what they learned from the previous classes, make it their own, and apply it," Porter says. "Frankly, they struggled with that concept for a while, but we saw progress once they figured it out. Them leaving their stamp on the program is what cements us into being a consistent program versus being a flash in the pan."